I got my second dose, it was pretty quiet at the clinic, scaled down a lot since last I was there. They said the uptake of second doses was going very well, but first doses are slowing down. We were already over 75% first doses, and 50% full vaccinated (12 and up) Hopefully it will be enough to get herd immunity together with natural immunity from earlier exposure.

Cases are still going down, there is some concern about the lambda variant having arrived from South America but so far it hasn't really taken off anywhere. Delta variant is still dominant. And some very true words:

“When we look at the big picture of this pandemic, as our vaccinations rise in this country we really, really have to start thinking about the rest of the world from a virus and epidemiological point of view and from an ethical point of view,” said Bowman. “Many places in this world [have] very low vaccination rates…these variants are going to keep coming at us. I would argue that we have an obligation to help other people in this pandemic.”

Data from Chile suggests Lambda is outcompeted by Gamma but perhaps is equal or (slightly) more transmissible than Alpha. Six months back and it'd be an easy VoC. How standards have changed ever since...

Exactly. Who knows? That's why everyone has to decide for themselves what's best for them in the end, and hopefully it works out well enough for everyone.

Well the poorly handled lockdowns certainly didn't help. Short minor lockdown after short minor lockdown just gave it more time. Not to mention all the protests and riots. Letting it spread like wildfire wasn't seen as an option though as that would've likely led to more deaths but would have burnt it out, assuming it's not prone to mutating that quickly, in which case we'd have a far bigger problem anyway then.

Lots of easy targets don't require laser focused execution. You can send out the 'troops' of your alliances fairly willy-nilly. However, if you have one strong main enemy, who knows your tactics well, you have to take more time and plan much more to get around their built up defenses with a highly coordinated attack. Sounds like the virus is doing exactly what you'd expect it to so far.

Last week in the news, there were a few stories about Canadians coming back from foreign countries who got vaxed while they were there, and yet their vax isn't being seen as valid by our own health care system. Talk about ridiculous. Countries like China and Russia. Canadians returning to our country had to quarantine for two weeks before they could go home, but the Gov changed that to, as long as they were vaccinated, they could skip quarantine. Well turns out that's only if you've gotten our vax. Which makes you wonder, talking about the odds, why isn't our healthcare system ok with vaxes from other countries? Are they seriously going to ban all of Russia or China? That's obviously highly unlikely, so why make a fuss about other countries vaxes now?

I think smokers, boozers, addicts, and those who are obese and don't exercise should pay more taxes. If those who don't wish to take the vaccine end up in the hospital, they should be taxed more. Obviously the issue here is that the majority of unvaccinated people won't need public services to support them unless they get severe or long COVID19, so only start taxing them if they fall ill? I truly believe there should be harsher consequences for anyone who thinks my taxes are there to fund their smoking-induced COPD/diabetes treatments, nothing more off putting than seeing a grown ass adult with a cigarette. 

I don't think vaccines will limit new strains, eventually, the strain that escapes the immune response the vaccine induces, will be the dominant strain and you just can't possibly ask people to keep wearing masks and wash their hands forever, all you'd end up doing is falling severely ill to viruses that were benign before the pandemic. I agree, however, that we still need few more months before opening up to let the vaccines do their job. 

As for children, I think we need more data and solid science on why they're not affected by COVID19 the way adults are and does vaccinating them really offer any added benefit in lower transmission. For example, I remember reading about ACE receptors being genetically less expressed in the young as a major reason for their better immune response against COVID19. I haven't been keeping up so what else have we figured out? Also, we should start sub-categorizing in more sub-groups, instead of just labelling anyone under 18 as a "child". Maybe that's all available science and I am just ignorant, I am sick of keeping up with covid19 lol

Yeah, children smoking cigarettes are sooo much better.

No moral question at all: If you are physically capable of getting the vaccine, get the shot. We have plenty of laws in place that people have to abide by for the collective health and safety of the common good, why would this be any different? Folks gotta drive speed limits, obey OHSA regulations, aren't allowed to drink and drive and have to wear seatbelts, you have to be licensed to do a tonne of dangerous things, etc. 

If you're capable of getting a vaccine, it should be mandatory. This 'my body my decision' argument makes sense on the surface but is grossly damning because it's not just your body. Just like it's not just you who's in danger if you drive drunk or operate heavy machinery without a license. If this truly was something that ONLY affected you and had no chance of affecting someone else in any negative way, sure! But that's not the reality of the situation. As long as not getting vaxxed does have a potential impact on others, it should be mandatory. Fullstop. This is not an ethical quandry, it's about as straightforward as can be. 

And the fact that people have actually convinced others that it's an issue of morals or personal liberty makes me sick to my stomach. This is just selfishness and ego and brazen heartlessness towards others masquerading as a battle for freedom. 

So now we're going to control what a woman can or can not do with their body?

Getting vaccinated or not is affecting others, so not a good comparison.

Doctors are actively recommending plenty of people (with underlying conditions) not to take the vaccine. The ethical question is, do you put these people in danger by letting the virus 'go' while many people that can get the vaccine don't have it yet.

However although you can make lock downs mandatory, it seems you can't make vaccinations mandatory? It's also a grey area whether you can prevent people access from certain things without a vaccine. That seems only possible at the border, only letting vaccinated people in. Work places can mandate vaccinations (with exceptions) though so I guess it has to come from employers.

Actually Turkmenistan is the first country to make it mandatory for all 18+
https://www.bmj.com/content/374/bmj.n1766
Turkmenistan’s vaccine laws will be the strictest in the world, surpassing those of Saudi Arabia, which since March has operated a broad “no jab, no job” policy in both public and private sectors.

It's freedom on the individual (vaccinated or not) vs freedom of the group (lock down restrictions, having to isolate)

Just get vaccinated unless your doctor tells you not to.

Exactly. If you CAN get it, it should be mandatory. If you can't, that's what herd immunity is for. You shouldn't act like your selfish wants override the collective needs of everyone. You shouldn't be able to just decline the vaccine because muh freedumbs. If you don't get vaccinated, you shouldn't be allowed to mingle with the rest of us civilized people. 

I, personally, can't be vaccinated and I hate it. I get violently sick for weeks and have been hospitalized a handful of times. I want to be vaxxed, but I cannot. and selfish pricks who simply chose not to get it becuase they're too stupid to understand how this sort of shit can directly or indirectly affect folks like me and a handful of others who have immunodeficiencies make me want to commit acts of violence. I'm a pretty peaceful person, but I get infuriated when I hear about people who give so little of a shit about those who can't get vaccines that they're willing to put us at risk becuase they can't be bothered to make a small sacrifice for the greater good. 

They might as well be smearing their shit on every door handle I come in contact with, and that's just fucking disgusting.